Stephen Jones has spent much of his career in the litigation arena, seeking compensation for victims of medical and financial injuries. Many of his cases involved helping individuals and families in crisis situations, particularly those suffering from Mesothelioma and other lung diseases resulting from exposure to asbestos, and seniors who had been victimized by financial injury and lost their life savings. This, together with watching his grandmother struggle with congestive heart failure, inspired Stephen to found Stephen Jones & Associates. The firm is dedicated to helping families plan for the future, protect themselves against the high cost...

I grew up Nokomis (Montgomery County), where my parents still reside. My degrees are from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. While in law school, I concentrated on litigation and advocacy for justice in the courtroom. I have put that concentration to use representing clients in the courtroom in hearings, trials, and other matters.

As for legal experience, I have litigated criminal and municipal law from the prosecution side and the defense side. In the private sector, I represent clients in personal injury cases (car wrecks/dog bites/slip or trip & falls/wrongful deaths/malpractice), traffic/DUI/criminal defense...

Amy F. Campbell Spector is a managing Partner with Hicks & Spector, L.L.C. She is licensed to practice law in the States of Illinois and Missouri. Ms. Spector holds a B.S. in Business Administration from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she majored in Marketing and minored in Psychology. Ms. Spector received her Juris Doctorate Degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, Illinois, where she was an active member of the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, as well as the student division of the American Bar Association. After law school, Ms. Spector...

Ms. Hicks has been practicing law in St. Clair and Monroe Counties for more than 10 years. She has successfully tried numerous divorce and custody cases. She is also an experienced mediator. Ms. Hicks grew up in a small town in Monroe County and returned to the area to practice law. She resides with her husband and son in Columbia.

I believe the best lawyer for you is almost always the one who will care the most about you and solving your problems. He will take the time to carefully listen to you, understand your situation, and give you the best advice on how to deal with it. He’ll give you the time you need to get to know him so you can ask questions and fairly judge if you want him to help or represent you.

For the past 25 years, my practice has focused on helping individuals, families, and small businesses to overcome financial setbacks and obtain a Fresh Start. Sometimes this means fighting foreclosures or defending against credit card suits. Very often, it involves filing bankruptcy to eliminate multiple debts or to consolidate several debts into one smaller monthly payment that my clients can actually afford. I treat my clients with dignity and respect and am proud to have served more than 10,000 people in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois.

Michael was born and raised in Southern Illinois. Since receiving his law license in 1992 he has helped thousands of families and individuals throughout Southern Illinois including Centralia, Fairfield, Flora, Carmi, Mount Carmel, Albion, Salem, Chester, Sparta, Clay City and Louisville find relief from their financial stress. He is also available to help you with your other family issues: wills, power of attorney, real estate, landlord and tenant and a wide range of legal services. If you are not able to meet at our office, please ask for a home visit.

John L. GreenLeaf, Jr. has been in practice over 37 years representing consumers and businesses in Central Illinois. The firm concentrates in all forms of Bankruptcy, Business formation, and the preparation of Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning and administration of Probate Estates and Guardianships.

Based in Decatur, Illinois and serving clients throughout Central Illinois and Western New York, I am a different kind of lawyer. I love value billing and flat fee arrangements. I hate billing by the hour. I embrace technology and use it to make my practice more effective. I worry about my clients, not their fees. I offer a valuable service to my clients, but I don't act like I'm better because of it. I'm not your typical lawyer. My practice focuses on elder law, estate planning, probate, special education, debt, and real estate. Can't make it to the office?...

Estate Planning Lawyers in Nearby Counties

Estate planning arranges for the transfer of an individual's estate at the time of death. An estate consists of all property owned at death before it is distributed by will, trust, or intestacy laws. An estate may contain both real property and personal property. Estate planning allows an individual to decide exactly who will benefit from his or her estate, and to what extent. It can also reduce the taxes imposed on the transfer of assets at death.

An experienced estate planning lawyer can help minimize the amount of the estate surrendered to taxes as well as ensure that the management and distribution of the estate is carried out according to your plans. Particularly when your plans are complex and/or you have substantial property or assets, it is important to have an attorney who can ensure that your plan functions the way you intend. Depending on the complexity of your individual situation, your estate planning team may include attorneys, financial planners, bankers and insurance professionals. Some states certify attorneys as estate planning specialists, which means they have met certain requirements for experience, education, and testing in that field.

Fiduciary:
A person or institution who manages money or property for another and who must exercise a standard care imposed by law, i.e., personal representative or executor of an estate, a trustee, etc.

Personal representative:
The person who administers an estate. If named in a will, that person's title is an executor. If there is no valid will, that person's title is an administrator.